whenever i go over to my grandmother’s house i can always expect some latin american cuisine ! yesterday i snacked on some Manzano Bananas.

what are Manzano Bananas?

aka. Apple Bananas, aka. Finger Bananas. not to be confused with mini bananas- Aside from being the cutest thing in the world they have a distinctive taste ! They are much SWEETER & have an infusion of appleish- strawberryish taste ! with a slight crunch- so yummy & exotic.

RECIPE: if you are able to find some Manzano Bananas at your local grocery store, I recommend slicing them & eating them over granola or some greek yogurt !

walking into work i usually have my head in the clouds & i’m dreaming about being somewhere else.

but sometimes its good to practice yogic behavior, & remain present.

its always good to:

& i might have just missed this little enjoyment if i hadn’t remained present & in the moment:

a birds nest- a beautiful sign of life amiss the chaos of miami beach & the hussle & bussle of my office.

inspiration on remaining present:

+ “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” — Buddha

+ “Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find you’re here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally. — Eckhart Tolle

+ “The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.” — Paulo Coelho

What’s a typical healthy dinner that you make?: For example last night for dinner I had 4oz. Grilled Salmon- lightly marinated with olive oil, lime juice and chipotle powder. Broccoli– steamed then mixed with EVOO and raw garlic. Carrots, fennel and onion sauteed with coconut oil.

I have to ask….. Fav place in the city to indulge?: Nothing beats 4th Generation in Boca Raton !! I wait to travel to Boca to indulge in sweets !! They’re all amazing !! The apple crumb is to die for !

Yum ! Sounds like you’re a great cook ! What makes that dish so healthy?:

I chose Salmon because the health benefits are endless and there’s far too many to ignore!

The benefits include speeding up your metabolism. This facilitates your sugar absorption rate and can lower your blood sugar level.

If you want shiny hair, bright eyes and healthy skinsalmon consumption can provide that as well. You can credit those Omega-3 fatty acids and selenium in the salmon for that.

Four ounces of wild salmon gives you a full day’s required amount of Vitamin D. That same amount of salmon also gives you more than half of the B12, niacin and selenium that you need daily.

It is power packed with disease fighting acids, minerals and vitamins.

So whether you bake it, broil it, grill it or eat it raw salmon is a powerful addition to your healthy lifestyle.

Broccoli nutrients provide many health benefits. It is a great source of vitamins K, A, and C, in addition to fiber, potassium, folate, and lutein. Some people love broccoli and some people hate it, but there’s no denying that broccoli is a nutritional wonder.

Fennel is a personal favorite considering I’m a female in my mid 20’s. On top of all the amazing vitamins fennel contains a plant hormone that is thought to aid with female reproduction and menstrual cycles.

The seeds and oil may reduce symptoms caused by these cycles including cramping and water retention as well as regulate cycles. Menopausal women have also found relief with changing hormonal levels by using fennel.

Fennel tea has also been used by nursing mothers to increase milk flow for many years without complications. However, many experts do not recommend fennel be used by nursing mothers, young children, or anyone with epilepsy as they can be toxic in large doses.

Onions are a very good source of vitamin C, B6, biotin, chromium, calcium and dietary fiber In addition, they contain good amounts of folic acid and vitamin B1 and K. In addition they contain a large amount of sulfur and are especially good for the liver. As a sulfur food, they mix best with proteins, as they stimulate the action of the amino acids to the brain and nervous system.

yum. as i’ve mentioned previously i have a major sweet tooth. in addition to the fully raw pumpkin pie recipe i shared, i would like to introduce you to my other love, Raw Banana Cream Pie. so simple & delicious. this is the perfect homemade dessert for valentines day ! plus its all natural <no artificial sugars> so its totally healthy.

i decided to make it extra special ! by adding fresh cut strawberries & drizzling dark chocolate! anyone that tries this will fall in l.o.v.e. with you.

its an easy 2 step blend process – then freeze.

PIE CRUST:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup dates

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

add the ingredients to your vitamix or food processor until the mixture sticks together & the dates are well processed. next place the crust mixture into your pie dish. press the crust down firmly with your hands. & your crust is finished !

BANANA FILLING:

2 medium bananas

3/4 cup pecans

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

mix the banana filling ingredients together in your blender until its creamy & smooth. then pour banana cream filling onto the crust. smooth out with the back of a spoon.

this is what it should look like after taking both steps:

cover the pie & place in freezer to set ! over night is best !

serve & enjoy, cold !

have you made any healthy desserts lately? try this one & let me know what you think !

yesterday i went for my routine dental check up- & mostly everything was typical. my teeth are healthy & strong. but the dentist mentioned my gums were a little weak. hmm i thought. weak gums- how am i supposed to make them stronger, what kind of exercise would that entail ? totally kidding, but no really how was i supposed to strengthen them??

but then of course i had to take matters into my own hands & began searching holistic dental care. i came across a website explaining that a white crystalline substance that looks & tastes like sugar could potentially improve my teeth & gums- WHATTTT. it had me at- tastes like sugar, i was sold.

Xylitol. What is it? Well to me the name sounds like a strange musical instrument but that is very misleading.. it is actually an all natural substitute for table sugar.

& the name rang a bell because at one of my crazed whole foods buy-everything-in-the-store-athon i had an employee recommend it as an alternative to the ever popular Stevia. i just so happened to buy it but once i got home with the weird named bottle I pushed it to the back of the kitchen shelf never to be seen or heard of again. Until now.

i tested it out by sprinkling it on some fresh strawberries & it was delicious ! i couldn’t believe it wasn’t sugar. well it is, but not really. Its technically a naturally occurring 5-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables & produced in small amounts by the human body !

According to my research, Xylitol may reduce the risk of tooth decay. Many large-scale clinical studies have shown it to have long-lasting dental benefits. Sugar that’s GOOD for teeth- CRAY. Xylitol has 40% less calories than sugar & can replace sugar in cooking, baking or as a sweetener for beverages.

then i went over to my grandmother’s with my sister ellie. & here are some ¿cómo se dice.. spanish tips 😉

me. my mimi. & my sister ellie.

first of all the 85 year old (still cant believe it !!!) Colombian beauty told me to:

* drink tea not coffee. (thankfully i only drink coffee on a RARE occassion) Tea, especially green tea, contains antioxidants and compounds that can help your heart, give you energy and protect your teeth and gums.

* massage my gums with my fingers ( yes, i agree this one sounded very weird. but hey if i can have her all natural smile at that age, ill test out ANYTHING.)

* gargle salt + water ( makes your gums tighter & strengthens them )

then she threw in an added BONUS !

her easy at home way to whiten:

*baking soda + lemon – brush on teeth & leave as long as you can stand it !